Is your child glued to phone during meals? Kareena Kapoor Khan’s nutritionist shares 3 simple hacks to reduce screen time

Feeding a child during mealtimes can be an exhausting battle for parents, with endless tantrums and food refusal. To keep the peace, many parents resort to giving children phones or tablets so they sit quietly and eat. However, this habit quickly becomes unhealthy: screen-distracted eating prevents children from recognizing satiety cues, leads to mindlessly poor chewing habits, and weakens family bonding. To tackle this growing issue, celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, known for working with Bollywood stars like Kareena Kapoor Khan, has shared 3 simple, practical hacks to help parents reduce their children’s screen dependence during mealtimes.

Digital devices are deliberately designed to capture and hold attention, making it challenging for users to disengage once they start scrolling or watching content. If adults, despite having more developed self-control, often struggle to step away from their phones, children can understandably face an even tougher battle. Rujuta Diwekar reassures parents that a child’s dependence on devices does not necessarily reflect poor parenting, noting that screens are engineered to be highly addictive and difficult to resist. So, parents can find these 3 tips useful.

Fixed meal schedules: Establishing routine

Enforcing predictable times for lunch and dinner sets a natural biological clock for your child. When kids eat at consistent hours, their bodies naturally anticipate food, boosting appetite and minimizing the fussiness that leads parents to rely on screens for distraction.

Family meal times: Leading by example

Children learn through imitation, so having them sit alongside an adult—whether a parent or grandparent—builds essential social habits. Watching family members engage, converse, and enjoy home-cooked meals fosters a supportive environment, shifting focus away from digital devices and onto human connection.

Unrushed dining: Encouraging mindful eating

Forcing a child to finish quickly creates mealtime anxiety, often prompting them to demand a phone to cope. Allowing children to eat at their own pace helps them listen to their natural fullness cues, chew thoroughly, and develop a positive, healthy relationship with food.

In conclusion, Rujuta Diwekar states that these approaches may not produce instant results, and advises parents to avoid expecting overnight changes. Building healthier mealtime habits requires patience, consistency and encouragement, with every small improvement worth acknowledging, she says. Even if earlier attempts did not work, parents should not lose hope as repeating the process can eventually make a difference.